The Professor Returns
by Writing-Gecko-Girl
Summary: Snapshots of the Doctor's life, the worst parts, as seen by Ace, his constant friend and the one companion he can't leave forever. Chapters posted- Time War Beginning and End, Regeneration.
1. The Time War Begins

I've set this up to be multi-chapter, the rest will be put up later. I plan to show not only the Doctor's life, but also Ace's.

**The Beginning of the Time War**

She heard the TARDIS materialize and froze, startled. It was in the middle of her living room. "Professor?" Ace called, "Professor is that you?" She crossed her fingers and hoped it was her Doctor, much as she may love the man he regenerated into, even though she loved him too. The door opened and the Eighth Doctor leaned out. "Ace?" He asked quietly.

"Professor," she smiled, "Thought you didn't come back. Not that I'm complaining mind, it's brill to see you."

"I needed someone to talk to." He said nervously.

"I'll make tea," she said, before he could invite her into the TARDIS, knowing that stepping into the beautiful blue box might break her heart. She fixed tea quickly, and returned to the living room, where he was sitting on the sofa, bouncing uncertainly. He took a tea and smiled gratefully. The sat in comfortable silence for several minutes, sipping their tea.

"What is it, Professor?" She asked finally.

"Do you remember the Daleks?"

She choked on her tea, "Yes!" She spluttered.

"Do you remember when I blew up Scaro?" He looked scared.

"With the Omega Thingy?"

He nodded, "They took it as an act of war," he whispered, "They attacked Galifrey."

"What?" Ace sat up abruptly and set her tea down. "They'd have to be crazy!

"They are," he intoned darkly. "The Time Lords want me to fight." He said. "But I don't want to! Ace, I'm not a warrior! But I started it!"

"Maybe a bad question; do the Time Lords know that?"

"Yes."

"Ah."

"I don't know what to do, Ace." he admitted, "I don't want to fight, but I should, shouldn't I?"

If he wanted her to decide for him he was going to be sorely disappointed, "Dunno." She replied, "You could stay here for the night. Think it over."

He leaned against her, "I may." He said softly.

Ace checked her watch, "I should run into work, but if you want me to stay-"

"No." He said quickly. "I'll be here." She nodded before rushing upstairs, dressing, and hurrying out the door to where her motorbike was waiting.

True to his word he was still there when she got back. He had cooked dinner out of ingredients she was pretty sure she hadn't had that morning. Then they sat at the table and ate, talking around the subject of the war.

"Hows your charity?" He asked.

"Brill, we've done so much. But I want to do more! Bambera, remember her, wants me to do some side work with U. N. I. T. explosives of course."

"Be careful," he cautioned.

"Aren't I always?" She grinned and ignored his scowl, "Said they might even let me helped with kids affected by aliens. Never though 'bout it while we were traveling, but there's so much work to be done after you save the world."

He nodded, "I know." He sounded sad.

"But they're better off after you anyway." Ace assured him. He smiled and they finished their meal in silence.

They sat on the sofa and watched Telly, still pretending there was nothing wrong. When Ace began to yawn, the Doctor grabbed her and carried her upstairs to her room, despite her protests. "Night Ace!" He said cheerfully, bundling her up in blankets and leaving the room.

When she woke up, she was so twisted in the sheets it took several minutes to escape her bed, too stubborn to call for the Doctor to help her. When she went downstairs, Ace wasn't very impressed to find the Doctor in the kitchen dismantling her coffee maker. "Professor!" She scolded.

He looked up at her, wide-eyed and innocent, "I'll put it back together!" He promised. It took several moments for Ace to realize he had her old bomber jacket wrapped around his shoulders, and a few more to realize that he must have been in her spare room to have found that.

Ace ignored him and scrambled and and made toast. They had to have breakfast without coffee, but other than that it was surprisingly nice.

"Have you," Ace paused, "Decided?"

"Yes." He whispered, "I have to."

He looked defeated, "Suppose I'd better go now, and get it over with."

"No sense putting off the inevitable, eh?" Ace asked, trying to sound lighthearted.

"Thanks for everything," he said. "The coffee makers fixed."

"Great," Ace said, "I could use some before work."

She followed him to the living room where he stared up at the TARDIS. "I'll be off then." He said heavily. He opened the door and stepped inside.

"I'll come."

He paused, then turned back to look at her, "No." He said sharply. "I won't risk you."

She wasn't surprised he had stopped her, "Then come back, once it's over, and let me know you're alive. Promise?"

He stepped out of the TARDIS and hugged her, "I promise."

Then he was gone, and Ace was left staring after him. Only then did she realize her bomber jacket was wrapped around her shoulders. "Bye Professor."

She turned back to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. When the coffee maker started playing 'Madame Butterfly' she cursed and growled, "Professor!"


	2. The Time War Ends

Ace sat at her table, sipping tea as she read the newspaper. She heard the TARDIS materialize in her living room and smiled, waiting for the Doctor to come to her. He didn't. She stood and entered the living room nervously, looking at the TARDIS parked in its usual spot.

She approached the door and knocked, when it didn't open she put her key in the lock and opened it. "Professor?" She called, "Professor?" Ace stepped into the console room, looking around the miscellaneous junk to find the Doctor. What she found terrified her. He was slumped forward in his chair, sobbing softly. His head was in his hands, and his hair was a matted mess, his usually immaculate clothes rumpled and dirtied.

"Professor!" She rushed to him and knelt in front of him. "Professor?" She placed her hands against his knees and he finally seemed to notice her.

"Ace?" He whispered, "How did you get here?"

"The TARDIS showed up in my living room. Professor what's wrong?"

"The TARDIS must've brought me of her own accord, how nice," he didn't seem to think it was nice. He sounded and looked as if the entire world was against him.

"Professor?" She asked softly.

"I lived," he said after a moment, his voice dull and angry. He chuckled dryly, "Like you wanted."

"What happened?" She whispered, but he was done answering, only broken sobs answered her. She pulled him to his feet and wrapped his arm around his neck, helping him out of the TARDIS. By miracle of sheer stubbornness and will, Ace managed to drag him to the spare bedroom and onto the bed. She slumped onto the chair next to him, only to get stabbed in the back by a pin on her bomber jacket which was thrown across the chair. She groaned, stood, and threw the jacket aside before sitting back down and watching him carefully.

Hours passed and he didn't move, she tried to wave him but he never responded. Ace barely left her friend's side except to eat a quick snack and go to the restroom. After several hours her phone rang and she answered it numbly. "Hello? McShane here."

"She's alive!" The woman on the other end of the phone said, apparently to whoever was in the room with her, not Ace herself.

"Gordon Bennett! What'd you think?"

"You didn't come to the meeting and you didn't call in sick." Was the calm reply, "Ace you never miss work! Your secretary said they've had to force you to go home before."

"Who's this?"

"Bambera."

Ace swore loudly, realizing she had missed her meeting with U. N. I. T.

"Ace!" The Doctor scolded, she spun around to see him sitting up.

She turned her attention back to the phone and said, "Bambera, sorry, can we reschedule? Family crisis."

"It's the Doctor isn't it?" Bambera asked.

"Yes."

"We can reschedule. Just remember, that means you have to be alive."

Ace smiled, "Got it."

She lowered the phone and remarked, "You're awake."

He nodded, beginning to look empty again. "You could say that."

"What happened Professor?" She asked, then added in a quiet voice, "You scared me."

"The wars over." He said softly, "We lost."

Ace felt terrified, "Lost? The Daleks won?" She sat next to him.

"No." He said, suddenly angry and bitter, "They lost too." He looked up at Ace, "They're all gone now. The Daleks, and the Time Lords. It's just me now."

"Oh, Professor!" She whispered, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him. "Professor."

He leaned into her and closed his eyes. "They're all gone. I'm the last." He repeated.

"You've still got me." She promised. "I'm right here Professor, not planning on going anywhere for a while."

He looked up at her with tear filled eyes, "Thank you." They leaned into each other, holding one another tightly, and reminding themselves they were alive.

Xxxxxxx

He spent nearly the next week with Ace, all of which she took off from work. In that time all her appliances were 'fixed' (thankfully no more of them started singing), she watched more Telly than she had in her life, and ate more junk food than ever before. It was worth it however, as the Doctor was visibly becoming better. On the fifth day she caught him humming Madame Butterfly along with the coffeemaker (which still sang from his last visit) and knew he had to be improving. The day after that he decided it was time for him to go.

"Ace?" She pulled the blanket over her head and tried to go back to sleep. "Ace?"

Finally she gave up and peered out from under the covers. "Yes?"

"I've decided," he said. "It's time for me to go."

Ace glanced at her clock, "You had to decide this at five o'clock in the morning?"

"I called A. C. E." He replied, "Told them you'd come in today."

"Ok," she struggled out of bed, "I'm getting up."

After the Doctor left her room, she showered, dressed and headed downstairs. The Doctor had made coffee and scrambled eggs which were waiting on the table. He was there as well, already eating, so she sat and joined him. Suddenly she didn't want him to leave, she had grown to live having him here, and the thought of going back to being alone terrified her, but she knew she wouldn't ask him to stay.

He finished before her, but waited for her to finish as well before he stood and said, "I'll be off."

"Yea, you'd better be. I've got to head off now." They looked at each other for a long moment.

"Come with me." He said suddenly, "Travel with me."

She shook her head, "Sorry Doctor, I can't."

He nodded, as if that was the answer he had been expecting, "Alright."

Ace smiled, "If you need me, come back."

"I'm sure I will."

She stood in the kitchen and listened to the TARDIS dematerialize before she left for work. When she arrived she found that "A strange man in an old fashioned jacket" had turned up and helped while she had been gone. In fact, her secretary was convinced it had been the same man who called and told them she'd be coming to work that day.


	3. Regeneration

He stumbled out of the TARDIS, exhausted and in pain. "Ace!" He shouted, "Ace!"

She came running, "Professor!" As she caught him he knew she knew something was wrong. "Professor, talk to me, Professor!"

"I- I- I'm regenerating." He stuttered, "Ace please help me!"

"What do I do?" She asked in alarm.

He gasped for breath, "Just- Just stay calm." He panted.

"Right!" She hauled him to the sofa and stretched him out on his back. "I'm calm." She promised, "Completely calm. So calm I- Gordon Bennett! Professor you're glowing!"

He was all out of words to assure her he'd be fine. He could feel the regeneration, the twinge that began in his hands and was rapidly spreading like wildfire. It burned up his neck and across his face, he felt each strand of his hair. His legs were tingling, and his feet going numb. Then it stopped.

"Professor?"

He knew he looked different now, and she would no doubt have a hard time with that, she certainly had last time, so he smiled up at her and whispered, "Ace." He felt her hand on his forehead as she lost consciousness.

When he woke up he was in the spare bedroom, and sun was coming in through the window. He stood and looked at himself. He touched his abnormally short hair and pulled on his big ears. What had been his last body's favorite outfit now hung off him oddly, and pulled tight in some areas.

Out of curiosity he opened the closet door and was mildly surprised to find men's clothes in many different styles and sizes. He selected a leather jacket, t-shirt, and jeans before he wandered back down the stairs to find Ace.

She was at the kitchen table, sipping coffee, "Seen yourself?" She asked.

"Yep," he said, sitting across from her, "It's-"

"Ridiculous?" Ace offered.

"Very nice." He grumbled. "Why do you have all these clothes up there?" He pulled on the jacket. "Can I have some coffee?" Without waiting for a reply he took her cup and gulped it.

"Cuz I never know when you'll show up or what you'll look like." She replied. "Speaking of which, can you fix my coffeemaker?"

"You broke it?" He asked.

"No," she snapped, "It sings opera! I didn't wanna ask last time you were here, but now that you hopefully have a new taste in music maybe you'll fix it?"

"I'll consider it." He teased, still drinking her coffee. "I like this jacket!" He said after a moment, "Can I keep it?"

"Sure you look," She thought about it, "Fantastic."

He grinned, "Fantastic!" He mimicked.

She frowned at him, "Not sure what I think of this one, Professor." She looked back at the table. She tapped a finger to her head as if to suggest he may be more insane than before.

Ace was hiding something, he could tell. "I scared you?" A shot in the dark, but it visibly hit home.

"Guessed that did ya?" She grumbled.

"I won't come then-"

"No!" She cut him off, "No. You're always welcome." He smiled at her and she managed a tired smile in return.

"Coffee?" He asked, holding out the cup.

"Professor!" She scolded, "You drank all of it!"

"Please?"

She growled at him and stood, going to the coffee maker and pouring the remaining coffee into two cups and adding an unearthly amount of sugar to both of them. She passed him one of the cups and gulped one herself.

"What are you going to do?" She asked.

"Explore." He replied. "Run. Lots of running. I'll be fantastic!"

She smiled, yawning as she drank another gulp of coffee. "I'm so tired," she mumbled. "I was up half the night afraid you were dead."

"Take the day off." He suggested.

She laughed, "I hope you're joking Professor!"

"I'm not!"

"Professor if I take one day off I spend the next week fixing it!" She argued.

"You've taken time off for me before." He reminded her.

She nodded, "If you want me to, I'm sure I can spare the time."

"No," he replied, "I won't make you do all that extra work."

She smiled, "How'd it happen this time?" She asked, clearly a reference to his regeneration.

"I'd rather not."

"Was it something bad?" She teased, nearly laughing. "Did you trip?"

"I had a concussion!" He defended, "Was I supposed to know the locals greeted each other with a bash on the head? The fact that their skull is thicker than mine is-"

Ace was laughing so hard she had to hang onto the table so she didn't fall out of her chair.

"You tripped!" She howled, "Professor!"

He folded his arms across his chest and sulked. "Not my fault."

"Whatever you say." She was still laughing.

"I'd better be going, hadn't I?" He asked.

"I'll never force you to leave." Ace replied, suddenly serious.

"You need to get to work, and, well, nothing's happening with me just sitting here." He looked out the window sadly, and for a moment wondered if he should stay. They'd both like that, wouldn't they? He knew in his hearts he couldn't, he'd die of boredom, and Ace didn't need to have to look after him all the time, Rassilion knew she'd try.

"I have something to give you." He said. "Come and see." She hesitantly followed him to the TARDIS, but waited outside.

He rummaged through the console room for a moment, then stepped back out and handed her an umbrella and a Panama hat. Surprised she took them and smiled, "Thanks professor."

He smiled, then stepped in the TARDIS, having a second thought he stuck his head back out, "Come with me."

"No." She replied, clutching the hat and umbrella. "Not this time."

He took the hat and set it on her head gently, then tapped her nose, "You're fantastic, Ace."

"So are you."


End file.
